Leho Laurine

Leho Laurine (Leo Laurentius) (28 August 1904, St. Petersburg – 31 January 1998, Stockholm) was an Estonian chess master. [ [http://www.maleliit.ee/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=86 Eesti Maleliit - Content ] ]

He was Estonian Champion in 1932 (4th EST-ch), and took 3rd in 1935, behind Paul Keres, and Gunnar Friedemann (7th EST-ch). [ [http://www.sportnet.ee/juur.php3?id=825 Sportnet ] ]

Throughout the 1930s, he played in the Estonian Club championships. In 1930 he won team silver medal, with Nedsvedski, Vidrik Rootare and Karring. In 1931 and 1938, he won two team gold medals, firstly with Villard, Karring, and Vladimirs Petrovs, and then with Paul Felix Schmidt, Johannes Türn, Kalde, and Laht. [ [http://www.maleliit.ee/modules.php?name=Arhiiv&a=1&klass=1&id=19 Eesti Maleliit ] ]

He played for Estonia in two Chess Olympiads.
*In 1935, at third board in 6th Olympiad in Warsaw (+4 -8 =2); [ [http://www.olimpbase.org/1935/1935est.html OlimpBase :: 6th Chess Olympiad, Warsaw 1935, Estonia ] ]
*In 1936, at fifth board in 3rd unofficial Olympiad in Munich (+5 -7 =3). [ [http://www.sportnet.ee/juur.php3?id=1157 Sportnet ] ] [ [http://www.olimpbase.org/1936x/1936est.html OlimpBase :: Chess Olympiad, Munich 1936, Estonia ] ]

During World War II, he played the Estonian championships of 1942 and 1943 (both won by Keres). In 1944, Laurine, along with many other Baltic players (Arlauskas, Dreibergs, Endzelins, Jursevskis, Mednis, Ozols, Sarapu, Tautvaišas, Vaitonis, Zemgalis, etc.) escaped to the West, just before the advancing Soviet forces arrived, to avoid deportation to Siberia or any other persecutions resulting from a Soviet occupation, an example being the case of Vladimirs Petrovs. Laurine left Tallinn for Germany and then Sweden. [ [http://www.skkamraterna.se/profiler/laurine.htm Schackklubben Kamraterna Göteborg ] ]

In 1963, he tied for 3rd-4th in Stockholm (Vassily Smyslov won). [ [http://db.chessmetrics.com/CM2/SingleEvent.asp?Params=199510SSSSS3S014127000000141100347300002910100 Event Details: Stockholm, 1963 ] ]

References